Electric-arc light



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. THONE.

ELECTRIC ARC LIGHT.

No. 348,799. Patented Sept. 7, 1886.

Invenior:

Wiinesses nphqr. Washinghm. D. c.

2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

P. THONE. ELECTRIC ARC LIGHT.

P ted Sept. 7, 1886.

1 15a. i l ilf l lvzz/ento a/itness e5 [Uru u UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

FRANK THONE, OF FORT \VAYNE, INDIANA.

ELECTRIC-ARC LiGHT.

EPECTIIPICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,799, datedSeptember 7, 1886.

Application filed March 24, 1886.

f0 all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that J', FRANK THONE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort \Vayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-LightItegulz'ttors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeinghad to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists in novel mechanism for feeding and regulating thecarbons or electrodes of arc lights, and relates particularly to thatclass of such devices which depend for their operation upon thedifferential action of two elcctro-magnets, one in the main or lightcircuit and the other in a shunt or derived circuit.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an end elevation of myimproved mechanism; Fig. 2, a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3, avertical section on the line a" x of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a perspectiveview of the clamp and lifter which controls the upper carbon carrier orrod.

Such parts as are necessary to produce a complete working-lamp and arenot herein described and shown may lie of any usual or approvedconstruction, my invention concerning only the regulator or feedmechanism, and the description and illustrations being accordinglyconfined thereto. The differential action of two eleetro-magnclsone inthe main or light circuit and the otherina circuitderived there from--isnow very generally utilized for regulating and controlling the positionofthe movable carbon or electrode, and such idea is therefore notbroadly claimed by me. My invention is confined to novel mechanism basedupon or embodying that principle, and adapted, by reason of advantageousconstruction and arrangement of parts to give ease and certainty ofaction wit-h great delicacy or sensitiveness of regulation.

Referring again to the drawings, A indicates a plate or bed, whichordinarily constitutes the head or top of the lamp-frame, and from whichthe loweif-carbon holder and globe- Serial No. 196.384. (No model.)

holder are usually suspended by means of brass side bars, one of whichcommonly serves to carry the current to the lower carbon or electrode.

Mounted side by side, and a short distance apart upon the bed or plateA, are two coils or helices, B and O, the helix B being wound withcoarse wire in the main or light circuit, and the helix G being woundwith Iiner wire in a shunt or derived circuit passing around the are orthe electrodes between which the are is formed, this being a commonarrange ment in lamps of this class. Both helices B and G are hollow,and have arranged within them, respectively. movable iron cores D and E.The core I) protrudes from one end of coil B, and core E protrudes in asimilar manner from the opposite end of coil 0, and the two cores are soconnected that as one core is drawn into its helix the other issimultaneously and equally withdrawn from the otherhelix. Thisconnection is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, wherein both cores arerepresented as provided with a stem or extension, a, which is carriedthrough the end of the coil opposite that from which the core projects,and each core is snstained and guided by an upright arm, 6, and a link,0, which jointly cause the cores to maintain always a position parallelwith the axes of their respective coils. The arms I) b are secured,respectively, to two rock-shafts, F and G, journalcd in supportingstemscl d, and extending across bed or plate A at right angles to the axes ofthe coils or helices B U, as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and thelinks a c are or may be loosely mounted upon the respective rock-shafts.The arms I) b and links 0 c are pin-jointed or otherwise so connectedwith the cores and their stems that the parts may move freely.

H indicates a radial arm, rigidly secured by a set-screw or equivalentmeans to the rockshaft F. The outer end of said arm H is connected by alink, I, with one end of a rocking lever, J, pivoted at a point betweenits ends in a vertical post or support, K, rising from the bed or plateA, as best shown in Fig. 3.

From the opposite end of the lever J is hung a threaded rod or stem, Iiwhich passes through a correspondiugly-threaded hole in a plate, e,which plate is journaled in side bars, ff, held. together by a bolt,either shouldered or pro vided with nuts on the inner as well as theouter faces of the side bars, f f, to prevent said bars from bindingupon the plate 6 or upon the pivoted blocks h and t, which constitutethe clamping device of the lifter N. The block h is provided with acircular hole, 9', through which the upper-carbon rod or holder passes,and in which it may move freely, except when pressed against one wall ofsaid opening by the block 1', which is formed with a semicircular seator depression, 70, in its face, to receive the carbon rod or holder 0.The block h has its journals h seated freely in holes n the side bars,ff, and the block 6 has its ournals i similarly seated in holes thereinabove those of block h. The journals h of block it are located on a linepassing through the axis of rod 0, and consequently the block has ofitself no tendency to cramp or bind upon the rod; but the pivots orjournals 1" of block a are back of said line and somewhat back of themiddle of block 73, so that the forward or recessed end of the latternaturally falls and rests upon block 71 presenting its upper edge orcorner to the rod 0, and clutching or cramping the same while supportedon the opposite side by the walls of the opening j in block h. From thisdescription it will be seen that if the rear end oflifter N be raised bythe rod L, the side bars, ff, being free to turn or swlng upon thejournals of the plate 6, will fail to rise until the rod is cramped orcaught by the clamp or clutch h i, whereupon the lifter and rod willrise, the latter carrying with it the upper carbon, and thus effectingthe required separation of the two carbons or electrodes. WVhen the rodL is again lowered, the rear end of litter N falls, the clutch releasesthe rod 0,.and the clutch permits the rod to fall and establish contactbetween the two carbons or shorten the space between them to the properworking distance. This alternating action is brought about, in otherlamps of this character, by the burning away of the electrodes and theconsequent lengthening of the are, which increases the resistance in themain circuit, weakens coil B, increases the current in the derived orshunt circuit, and strengthens the coil 0, causing the core E to bedrawn within coil 0 and the core D to be withdrawn proportionately fromcoil B. This action, through the arms I) I), rocks the shafts F and G,raises arm II, and through the link I elevates the end of lever J, towhich said link is connected, thereby depressing the opposite end ofsaid lever J, lowering threaded stem L, and loosening the hold of theclutch on the rod 0. As the clutch thus releases its hold, the rod movesdown, shortens the space between the electrodes, or establishes actualcontact, whereupon the current again passes almost wholly through thecoil B, which, drawing in its core D, causes the lifter N to be raisedthrough the action of the intermediate parts and separates the carbonsto their proper working distance.

In order that the parts may be nicely adjusted to each other the stems dd, in which the rock-shafts F G are journaled, are threaded and providedwith nuts above and below the bed or plate A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.By adjusting said stems the axes of the cores and coils may be made tocoincide exactly,

and by adjusting the stem J up or down the lifter maybe properlyadjusted with reference to its controlling or actuating mechanism.

- WVhen lowered, the lifter N rests upon bed or plate A and assumes ahorizontal position.

The construction above set forth gives excellent practical results.Proper insulation will be made wherever required, to preventshort-circuit-ing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. Theherein-described regulator for are lamps, consisting of coils B 0,respectively included in the main and derived circuits, and

wound with coarse and fine wire, cores D and E, movable within saidcoils, rock-shafts F G, arms I) I), and links 0 0, connecting the coresand rock-shafts, radial arm H, link I, rocking lever J, stem L, liftingdevice N, carried bywhich the carbon-carrier rod may freely pass,

and a block, 1', pivoted in said frame above the block h, and having itspivots nearer the end removed from the rod, whereby the block t iscaused to cramp upon the rod when the frame is tilted, but to releasethe same when the frame assumes a horizontal position.

4. In combination with coils B 0, cores D E, and lifter N, rock-shafts FG, and intermediate connections between said rock-shafts and the coresand lifter, and adjustable supports for the rock-shafts, allsubstantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK THONE.

